Archive for March 2011

Through one of our partners, we were recently asked to run training to help graduates in the banking industry improve their communication skills. We went through a two day plan which included Insights Profiling (to understand how to communicate best to different personality preferences), Telephone Techniques and Questioning and Listening Skills. Then the client informed us that half of the delegates would not need to attend the second day of training, which would focus on questioning and listening skills. We were told that this was because those delegates were being trained for positions as traders, and would therefore not be client facing. The implications of this decision seemed clear:

‘We know we need our people to practice good communication skills when we interface with our customers, but when we interact with each other, who cares?’

As communication experts, this is the kind of attitude which drives us around the bend, as we know the profound impact person to person communication has on all aspects of an organisation. We felt inspired us to write the following letter.

Dear Clients and Prospective Clients,

The way you communicate with each other on a moment-to-moment, day-to-day basis is critically important. It can determine how effectively you realise your strategic aims, align people behind critical objectives, how quickly decisions can be taken, how people engage with each other and with the organisation as a whole. Is this not worthy of your attention and a day or two’s tailored and incisive training?